#let's hatch a plot

[jamesxpctter]

📫 for a letter my muse would write about yours to a third party.

Pads,

First off, let me just say by stating that your hair looks lovely today.  I know I haven’t gotten to see it, but I trust that it is as long and luxurious as always.  Also, that shirt?  Looks amazing on you.  Please come by and visit soon.  As much as I love my wife and son, there is only so much of their company I can handle before I think I’m going to break something.  There is one particularly ugly vase that Petunia sent us that I’ve had my eye on for awhile now.  If you don’t visit, it might just have to go.

Speaking of visits, you’ll never guess who stopped by the other day.  You know, the one perk that this whole ‘hiding for my life’ thing is that I don’t have to listen to Moody’s speeches every day anymore.  How Evans managed working with him for as long as she did is still beyond me.  He even yelled at me, claiming that I wasn’t being vigilent enough while I was stuck here.  Yes, because clearly, Crookshanks is so terrifying that one day he’s going to take us all down.  The man’s off his rocker.

Anyway, a little bird reminded me that in another month, someone (aka you) will be having a birthday.  Merlin, you’re getting old.  You know the wife and I’ll insist on having you over, so just go ahead and clear your calendar for the 31st.  I figured, you’ll spend the night, and no, you have no say in this.  Besides, this way you’ll get to see Harry in his Halloween costume.

You won’t believe how much Harry has grown just within the last couple of weeks.  People keep saying he looks like me, but all I see in him is Lily.  Merlin, I hope he doesn’t inherit my bad eyesight.  He misses his godfather, though.  Even though he can’t say it, I can just tell.  Call it paternal instinct.  Snaps still doesn’t sleep.  I’ll wake up and find her moving around the house at three in the morning, just trying to find something to do to occupy her time.

I continue to hope that the war will be over soon and then things can go back to normal.  Then we can go back to being the young adults we’re supposed to be.  Be safe and give Remus and Peter my best.

Sincerely,Prongs

[jamesxpctter]

The Marauders

leave a brotp/platonic ship in my ask and i’ll tell you:

who steals french fries off the other’s plate: Peter, but James is a close second.  They like to work off the mentality that since they are all so close, it only makes sense that they all get equal access to their food.

who jokingly moves in for the kiss when someone asks if they’re a couple: Sirius.  It doesn’t matter which of the Marauders that he’s with, he’s the one that is going to go in to act like he’s kissing the other ones.

who has to bust or bail the other out of jail: Surprisingly, it usually ends up being James.  He doesn’t understand why he was left out on the whole thing to begin with, but still.  This way, he at least gets to yell at them for not letting him tag along.  Besides, he’s the one with the most money, so it’s not like it’s a big deal to him whenever he does have to bail them out.

who gives the other advice/comfort about dating issues: Prior to James actually dating people long term, Sirius was the one who gave out the advice.  Granted, most of the time it didn’t work, but he was still the one who offerred it.  After James and Selina started dating, it switched to him.  Remus is the one who hands down always is there to provide the comfort.

who shamelessly cheats at games by reaching over to cover the other’s eyes: It’s a tie between Peter and Remus.  No one would think that they’d be the ones to do it, but they typically start it.  Once one of the Marauders cheats though, all bets are off and the entire game ends up just being ridiculous with new rules being made up on the spot.

who immediately calls dibs on the top bunk: Peter.  He claims that he doesn’t ‘feel right’ if he gets the bottom bunks, so he has to get the top one.

who starts and who wins the pillow fights: James typically is the one to start them whenever he’s beyond bored and can’t seem to find anything else to do.  Remus is actually the one that ends up winning them.

who says “your pants would look better on their floor” to the other’s potential crush: Sirius.  He has no shame when it comes to those sorts of things and likes watching his mates squirm whenever he says things like that to their crushes.

[jamesxpctter]

James & Sirius Brotp

leave a brotp/platonic ship in my ask and i’ll tell you:

who steals french fries off the other’s plate: James.  It doesn’t matter to him who has food.  If it is within his arm’s reach, it automatically becomes his too.

who jokingly moves in for the kiss when someone asks if they’re a couple: Sirius.  It got to be a joke between the two of them after awhile, where Sirius would lean in and James would, too.  It was like a game of chicken, with James almost always being the one to chicken out first.  Sirius claimed that it was because he was afraid that if they ever kissed, James would decide he loved Sirius more than Lily.

who has to bust or bail the other out of jail: James. And he complained the entire way home about how he wasn’t involved in the scheme.

who gives the other advice/comfort about dating issues: James gives the advice, Sirius provides the comfort.

who shamelessly cheats at games by reaching over to cover the other’s eyes: James.  He hates losing so much, and Sirius usually finds himself laughing too hard to be able to stop him.

who immediately calls dibs on the top bunk: Sirius. Which James doesn’t really mind.  He likes having the extra storage space under his bed.

who starts and who wins the pillow fights: James starts them, but Sirius always wins them.

who says “your pants would look better on their floor” to the other’s potential crush: Definitely Sirius.  It ended with bitter looks from one redhead and profuse apologizing and blushing from James.

[jamesxpctter]

My muse is being punished by yours.

He almost feels bad about the whole thing.  Almost.

After all, there was a time when James might have considered the eldest of the two Black brothers his friend.  They were in the same house together, shared a space in Potions until they dropped the class, and even played on the same Quidditch team together.  But none of that mattered.  Not ever since they decided where their loyalties lay.

The differences started showing up in sixth year.  He would disappear on the same nights that the Lupin kid had to go home.  It was supsicious, but Peter had assured James that it was nothing to worry about.  They’d both show up the next day looking utterly exhausted, but it was of little consequence.  James and Peter had little to do with them anyway.  Their friends are almost all in Slytherin, which means they don’t see their Gryffindor companions much at all these days.

It was after graduation that word leaked out about the Lupin kid.  He’s not surprised that a kid like that is a monster, but he was surprised that he was allowed to go to school.  Maybe his parents are right.  Maybe Dumbledore isn’t fit to be headmaster anymore.  At least, when the new order comes, he won’t be in charge anymore.  And it doesn’t surprise him that Sirius insisted on hanging out with him.  Despite the fact they were both purebloods, there was always something a little bit off about him.  The fact he hangs out with a werewolf only solidifies that notion.

The trap was all too easy to set.  Even though Sirius ran away from home years ago-another idiot move on his part considering he had nowhere to go- he still felt some responsibility towards his family.  Namely Regulus.

They sent word that Regulus was in trouble.  Made the boy up to appear like he was being tortured.  And waited.

They didn’t have to wait long.

As though on cue, Sirius arrived, his eyes wide at the sight of his brother, tied to a chair, and looking as though he was barely hanging on.  Emerging from the shadows in their long, dark cloaks and masks, all the Death Eaters raised their wands, firing various spells.  The eldest Black fell to the floor, and Regulus easily undid his binds before leaving the room.

James took the lead from there, his wand throwing one spell after another at the other young man.  He paused long enough to look down at him and removed the mask.  Sirius was bloddy, clearly in the pain that Regulus had pretended to be in.

“James.”  It was barely a whisper.  James had to strain to hear it.  He opened his mouth as though to say more, but shut it almost immediately after.

Raising his wand, James pointed it precisely at the other.  “Crucio!”

[jamesxpctter]

My muse is having a vivid nightmare and is crying out in their sleep.

Hours earlier, there had been a boy in a leather jacket to show up on the Potter’s doorstep.  Fed up with his family, he had decided to run away, and had found himself here.  It took Winky the rest of the day putting Sirius’s room in order for him.  After all, now that he was a permanent member of the family, he can’t be expected to sleep in one of the stuffy guest rooms or the couch in James’s room.

They had spent most of the night talking, James sitting cross legged on Sirius’s bed.  Talking about quidditch, about school starting back up, but the subject of why Sirius had come tonight was never brought up.  All that mattered was that he was here now.  He was home.

Tired, James had made a show of tucking Sirius into his new bed, laughing the whole way through before retiring to his own room.  He had just started to drift off when he heard the first cry.  It causes him to sit up in his bed, but it doesn’t come again, so James swears that he just imagined it.

It’s still dark the next time it hears him, and it wakes him up.  This time, there’s another cry not long afterwards.  Pushing the duvet aside, James swings his legs off the bed and heads out into the hallway for its source.  It doesn’t take long.  Opening the door to Sirius’s bedroom, James makes his way in, shaking his best friend to get him to wake up.  Whispers of ‘it’s just a dream,’ already leaving his lips as he sits down next to him.

There’s a look of terror on Sirius’s face when he does wake up.  Looking around, his eyes land on James and the look of terror slowly starts to fade into the cool, collected mask he always wears.  Draping his arm around his mate, James rubs the top of Sirius’s arm the way that his mom always did when he was little.  “It was just a dream,” he repeats once more.  “You’re safe here.  They can’t ever get you.  Not anymore.”

And, despite Sirius’s protests that he’s fine, James still makes up a cot for himself on the floor next to his bed.  He wants to be here.  Stand guard over the bad dreams that still plague Sirius this badly.  But that reason goes unspoken between them.  Instead, James insists that it’s more fun this way, like he’s camping, and it’s not like his bed is that comfortable anyway.

[jamesxpctter]

☾

Once James learned about Sirius’s upbringing, he made it a point to make over Sirius more than his other friends.  Not that cared for Sirius that much more than his mates, but they all had family that cared about him.  In James’s eyes, he was the only decent family Sirius had.  Which was why his birthday presents were always more extravangant and he got more Christmas presents from James than the other Marauders.

Sirius and James spent weeks trying to convince other people that they could read each other’s minds.  They would rehearse things to say in front of others, where one would finish the other’s sandwiches.  However, it wasn’t long until the farce become relatively real.  Without realizing it, James would start a sentence that Sirius would finish or vice versa.

Sirius has a tendency to stay up late at night, whereas James is always up at the crack of dawn.  He likes being awake early, feeling that he can get more accomplished.  During their time at Hogwarts, he’d often keep jumping on Sirius’s bed to get him up, so they could go get in extra Quidditch practice.  While they were at home, James would wake up, go into Sirius’s room and throw open the blinds in there.  It usually came with some cursing, promises of strong coffee, and cursing at James, but Sirius would often be the one to give in and get up to follow James off on whatever it was he wanted.

[jamesxpctter]

James and Sirius

Who is the better wingman when they’re out together?: James.  It never seemed to fail that whenever Sirius tried to help James pick up a girl, it always backfired.  Somehow, they were more drawn to the ‘mysterious, bad boy’ thing Sirius had going on than the ‘adorkable nerd’ aesthetic James had.  Eventually, he stopped letting Sirius be his wing man.  It got to the point where it was annoying watching his could be conquests leaving with his best friend.Which of them is more likely to pretend to be in a relationship with the other to avoid something/someone?: Sirius.  They spent a few weeks during their fourth year trying to convince this one Ravenclaw bloke that fancied Sirius and in depserate need of cologne that they were crazy about each other.  In fact, they got so good at it, that there were a few students in the lower years who was convinced they were still dating even up until they graduated.Who is more likely to fall asleep at the other one’s place?: Sirius. After all, his bedroom’s still the same at James’s parents’ house.  No one quite has the heart to change it back to the guest room it once was.  James knows that his new home isn’t nearly as abusive as his last one was, but he still wants to keep it there for Sirius as a safe haven.  Just in case.Which of them comes up with the more terrible of the bad ideas?: Sirius.  Granted, most of their half baked schemes they come up with together, but Sirius is usually the mastermind behind some of their more idiotic schemes.  At least, that’s what James thinks because his plans are always flawless.Which of them remembers more details about the other (e.g. birthdays, favorite foods, how they take their coffee)?: James.  After learing about Sirius’s family situation, James made it a point to take careful note of the things his friend liked and didn’t like.  He figured, if no one else in his life cared about it, then he was going to try his hardest to make sure someone showed they cared.Who is more likely to bring home a stray?: Sirius.  They both think it’s because Padfoot feels this strange kinship to them, so he can’t leave them homeless.Who eats all of the popcorn when they go to the movies together?: It’s pretty half and half.  They’re pretty good about taking a handful of popcorn before passing it to the other one, handing it back and forth until the tub’s empty.

[jamesxpctter]

Betrayal

He’s never had a lot of experience being ‘betrayed.’  He makes it too much of a point to surround himself with good people.  People who he knows would never turn on him like that.  

Sirius, who he’s sure would die before betraying him.  

Remus, who insists almost monthly that he owes James his life.  And it just doesn’t seem in his DNA to be able to turn on someone.  

Peter, who James once thought basically worshipped the ground he walked on.  Besides, he swears he’d been ‘betrayed’ when Selina kicked him off the Quidditch team, and James knows he’d never put anyone through that sort of frustration.